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October 6, 2012

(5/5) Tiliard for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad is an amazingly unique puzzle game. Tiliard is based off of the popular game billiard, but in puzzle form. You must place the cue tile (not ball) and then tap on it once more to get it going. You can only place the cue tile next to a number tile. The tiles move the number of spaces that are on them. For example, a 7 tile would move 7 spaces before coming to a stop. The goal, like billiard, is to get all of the tiles to fall into holes that are set around the sides of the screen. The graphics are colorful, and I love the art style that the developer used. The music is great, not too loud but not too subtle. The controls are simple, just a series of tapping. Overall, Tiliard is definitely a hidden gem of a game on the App Store. Go check it out for only $0.99. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tiliard/id526999566?mt=8

September 16, 2012

(4.7/5) Rail Rush for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad is a game that is extremely similar to the iOS classic, Temple Run. You can play as one of many different characters, which each have their own abilities. The gameplay is entertaining, with a similar tilt/swipe mechanic to Temple Run. The graphics are good, with the characters, powerups, etc. modeled in 3D along with the multiple different environments to travel through. Powerups like magnets and speed boosts will help you on your minecart journey, as they will help you gain distance, survive longer, or gain more gold. The music is fitting, as it sounds like something that could be put in an adventure movie. Overall, Rail Rush is a game that you should pick up if you have had your fill of Temple Run and want to play a different, but similar game. Rail Rush is available on the app store for $0.99. http://itunes.apple.com/app/rail-rush/id501947104?mt=8

August 26, 2012

(5/5) Toybox for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad is is an extremely
unique game that requires your full attention. The game is very simple,
it has no plot or anything of the sort, it just has two games that you
play at the same time. On one side of your screen is a scrolling shooter
in which you must avoid getting shot and shoot at enemies. On the other
side there is a match-three game. You must move around pieces that are
going to fall in order to match three. The pieces come in 4 different
colors, and you can only make matches with blocks of the same color.
Making a match will give you some points, but it will also affect the
shooter. Making a match causes any enemies and/or bullets on the screen
to disappear, which racks up even more points. The controls are set up
well, and are easy to use. The ship for the scroller is controlled by
swiping in the direction you want to move the ship (it auto-fires), and
the blocks for the puzzle game are moved around by tapping and dragging
and then letting go. The difficulty slowly ramps up, but at a reasonable
speed, so you don't feel overwhelmed. The game(s) require both hands,
your attention, and deep concentration. The graphics are great. The
backgrounds look nice and are detailed, along with the characters/blocks
being detailed and very smoothly animated. The music is soft and
subtle, but it adds a nice touch (it doesn't distract you at all).
Overall, Toybox is a great game. It can take some getting used to in the
beginning, but once you get the hang of it, it is a game that can keep
you coming back time and time again. Toybox is available on the app
store for $0.99. http://itunes.apple.com/app/toybox/id501210011?mt=8

August 23, 2012

(4.9/5) Analytiks for the iPhone and iPod Touch is a beautiful Google Analytics client. On your first startup, you will be asked to log in to your Google Analytics account, and you will be able to chose whether you have a black or white iPhone (this changes the theme, you can switch between the white and black themes in the settings. The overall UI is minimalistic, which is helpful for an app like Analytiks. Near the top of the screen is the site you are currently viewing the statistics of. A bit further down you are shown how many pageviews your site has gotten today, along with what percent of your viewers were directed from Google, Facebook, and Twitter. You are also told what percent higher or lower you have gotten from yesterday. There is also a number showing how many unique visitors you have had viewing your site. Below the current day's stats are the combined stats from the whole month. This includes the total pageviews, percentages from Google, Facebook, and Twitter, the percent up from the previous month, and a number of unique visitors. Further below that, a graph is displayed showing dates (x-axis) and the number of visitors (y-axis). In the top right corner, there is a small symbol that resembles a gauge from a car.When tapped, it displays info such as viewer demographics, the browsers people are using and what percent of your viewers are using certain browsers, the percentages of desktop vs. mobile and PC vs. mac, the average amount of time spent on your site, and the percentage of new vs. returning viewers. This entire list of info can be sent via email or saved to your photos. Back on the first screen, you can access settings from the bottom right and refresh the stats on the bottom left. Everything is represented with nice, minimalistic glyphs and a beautiful font. The entire interface is gorgeous, and is a huge reason why Analytiks stands out from the crowd. One turn-off is that there are no sounds at all, which would be a nice touch. Analytiks is available on the app store for $0.99. http://itunes.apple.com/app/analytiks/id427268553?mt=8

August 22, 2012

(4.9/5) Mikey Shorts for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad is an absolutely amazing and fast-paced speedrun-centric platforming game. You play as a young boy named Mikey who woke up as the only person left. Everyone else had been turned into statues by some unknown being. There are two game modes- story and challenge. Story mode, which has 24 levels, has you going through the level as fast as possible to beat your best time, while collecting coins and saving people on the way. Challenge mode, which has 48 levels and is unlocked when you get 24 stars in story mode, has you running through levels before the clock runs out. Even if you run out of time in challenge mode, you will unlock the next level (you just will have a score of 0). Both modes have different environments to dash through, like dark caves and snowy mountains. The controls are very simple, but extremely well-made. There are two buttons on the left for running, and two buttons on the right, one for sliding under walls and one for jumping over gaps and obstacles. They can be moved around in the options screen, just in case you don't like the default setup. The music is bright and cheery, and sets the game's mood (along with the bright and colorful backgrounds). The graphics are great. All of the characters are pixelated, while the backgrounds and platforms are nice and smooth. There are also over 100 disguises to wear (hats, glasses, and facial hair/decorations), which are purchasable in the in-game shop with collected coins. My one and only complaint is that the game goes by very quickly, but I'm sure that sometime in the future, Mikey Shorts will be updated with more levels. However, there is already a lot of replay value. All in all, Mikey Shorts is a great game that is definitely worth your time, and is a bang for your buck. Mikey Shorts is available on the app store for $0.99. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mikey-shorts/id508176435?&mt=8

August 17, 2012

(4.6/5) Random Heroes for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad is a game that has you controlling some unlikely heroes, hence the title. There are many different playable characters, such as Abraham Lincoln ( 16th US President) and Neo (The Matrix). You have to control one of the characters and use a multitude of different guns to destroy a race of intergalactic zombie space invaders. The difficulty quickly ramps up, which annoyed me. The great controls from the League of Evil series have been carried over to Random Heroes, which is a very good thing. However, the quick gameplay wasn't carried over. The characters jump slowly, and sometimes one would miss a platform, but another character with the same abilities and stats would make it with no problem at all. There are three worlds to play through, each one with 10 levels, including a boss level. The music, just like the League of Evil games, is catchy and fits well with the gameplay. The graphic style is the same pixel art that so many of us loved from League of Evil 1, which is a major plus. The controls, as mentioned earlier, are extremely tight and responsive. The in-game shop allows you to purchase new characters and weapons, each with different stats and special abilities. Overall, Random Heroes is a good game for people that loved the League of Evil games, but are looking for a slower platforming game. Random Heroes is also great for people who like games such as Nintendo's Mario series. Random Heroes is available on the app store for $0.99. http://itunes.apple.com/app/random-heroes/id540353158?mt=8

Mikey Shorts, an upcoming game from Beavertap Games, is a speed-run centric game that will work on the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad (universal). From what I have played, the game runs smoothly, the music is catchy, and the controls are extremely responsive. The game(play) is similar to Mos Speedrun, but with more levels, more colorful backgrounds, 16-bit graphics, and nicer music. I can definitely guarantee that you won't regret buying Mikey Shorts. It releases on the app store Wednesday the 22nd of August for $0.99. Check back on Wednesday for our review, and scroll down to view the trailer.